California. Authorities announced the dismantling of a terrorist plot planned for New Year’s Eve in the southern part of the state. The operation, coordinated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), resulted in the detention of five individuals linked to an anti-government group.
According to Kash Patel, the FBI director, those detained are part of a «radical faction» of the so-called Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF). U.S. authorities classify this organization as an extremist group with a «pro-Palestinian, anti-police and anti-government» ideology.
According to the official investigation, the suspects intended to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at five different locations in Los Angeles, taking advantage of the crowds typical of year-end festivities.
«They were, allegedly, planning coordinated attacks with improvised explosive devices on New Year’s Eve,» Patel confirmed via the social network X.
In addition to the explosives, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that the cell had specific targets related to immigration authorities. The plan included direct attacks against agents and vehicles of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency with a strong presence at the border and in states such as California.
«The Turtle Island Liberation Front (an far-left, pro-Palestinian, anti-government and anti-capitalist group) was preparing to carry out a series of bombings against multiple targets in California starting New Year. The group also planned to attack ICE agents and vehicles,» Bondi said in a statement.
Although the main focus of the plot was on the West Coast, the reach of the federal operation extended to Louisiana.
In Los Angeles and Orange County, four people were arrested in direct relation to the explosives plan.
While in New Orleans, federal agents detained a fifth suspect tied to the TILF.
